Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and systems for providing fire alarms. Typical building fire alarm systems include a number of fire detectors positioned throughout a building. Signals from those detectors are monitored by a system controller, which, upon sensing an alarm condition, sounds audible alarms throughout the building. Flashing light strobes may also be positioned throughout the building to provide a visual alarm indication. The audible alarms and strobes are typically connected across common power lines on a notification circuit.
While in many situations such audible alarms and strobes operate sufficiently to notify an alarm condition, in other situations these alarms are insufficient. For example, the audible alarm can be difficult to hear in areas with high noise or poor acoustic properties. In addition, audible alarms cannot be used in areas requiring quiet, such as for example explosives areas. Still further, audible alarms are of limited usefulness in areas with populations that include the deaf and hard of hearing.
Textual notification devices are known. However, the use of textual notification devices requires building management to particularly create and direct such textual notification devices as to the message being transmitted. Thus, in an alarm condition these textual notification devices are of little use.
It would therefore be beneficial to offer an alarm system that provides an adequate notification of an alarm condition in areas wherein audible alarms are of limited use.